1. Research

Do plenty of research before you even start your book. Are there are lot of other books in that category? Does your idea add anything new, or are you looking at a very crowded genre? If your book is going to be seen by a potential audience, it has to stand out in some way.

2. Plan Your Book

You should also plan the structure of your book. If you work on it without planning the chapters, you will end up with a disorganised mess. Start with your basic ideas, expand on those, and organise it until you have a coherent chapter layout. Then set about actually writing the chapters.

3. Disciplined

Be disciplined about working on your book, or it'll never get started, never mind finished! Many writers find it helpful to set themselves the target of working on a certain number of words each day, to help avoid writer's block or getting distracted. Working steadily means that you'll soon have more than enough words, and can set about the process of editing and polishing your book.

4. Review

When you've completed the first draft of your book, go back to the beginning and review your work. It may benefit from having sections cut out or rewritten. Be honest with yourself, even brutal. What would you want to see if you were the reader? Don't be afraid to chop unnecessary words, so that the book reads better.

5. Proofread

Never neglect having your book proofread. It's best to pay a professional proofreader, as they will ensure that you end up with a book that look professional. While you might not want to go to the expense of paying a proofreader, without it your book will contain errors and look sloppy. And even if you have friends willing to check it for free, they're not professionals, and won't give it the same attention.

6. Feedback

Get feedback on your book before you publish it. Just because anyone can publish a book doesn't mean that yours is ready to be published. Give it to someone who'll give an honest assessment; if you're not prepared to have uncomplimentary things said about your work, you're definitely not ready to publish anything.

7. Learn about Publishing Platforms & Formatting

Finally, you'll need to learn about the technical side of publishing your book. Learn how to format your book; how you do so will depend on the publishing platform you use. There are many different platforms; Kindle is one of the best-known, but you'll only be able to sell your book to people who own Kindle readers.

It's very rewarding to publish your own book, but do ensure that you produce high-quality work. Do so, and your readers will be interested in your next book, whereas a book full of spelling errors will put them off purchasing another one. Have you read any interesting self-published books?